Define The Relationship Novel - Chapter 35

“Meeting an Alpha at all is my first.”

“I know that. So… what about things like watching a movie just the two of us, or making something together, things like that?”

Ash gave an example first. Karlyle searched his memory. He had watched movies usually when attending premieres or film festivals, and there were always many companions.

The only time he had watched a movie alone with someone was with Kyle. Still, if he were to count it, there was such a case. But making something together was a first with Ash.

“I don’t think I’ve ever made anything with someone before.”

Ash chuckled. It was that strange smile he had been showing often. A curious expression that looked troubled even while smiling. Karlyle sat upright, silently gazing at Ash.

“Are you alright, Ash?”

“Yes. I’m fine.”

With gently curved eyes, Ash let out a faint sigh. Then he asked again.

“Then…”

Karlyle waited patiently, as if listening.

“Was kissing perhaps also your first?”

Ash seemed confident that this part wasn’t a first. Karlyle quietly counted inwardly. There’s no way it was his first. His first kiss had started quite early.

He didn’t know what the general standard was, but he started at seventeen, and had kissed periodically during every rut since then. Ash stopped Karlyle, who was quietly calculating the number of kisses based on the monthly rut periods, the number of partners he had been with, and his memories from those times.

“Karlyle, you’re not counting, are you?”

“Didn’t you need an exact figure?”

“No. It’s a relief that kissing wasn’t your first, at least.”

It’s hard to say what’s a relief. Karlyle thought quietly, then opened his mouth.

“I have never kissed the same person more than once.”

Ash quietly looked at Karlyle. Karlyle averted his gaze slightly, somehow embarrassed by that look.

“So, if there were parts that were a little clumsy…”

“Were there?”

Ash moved his upper body closer. Their gazes were very close. As the distance narrowed enough to see his eyelashes tremble slightly, Karlyle averted his gaze even further.

His stomach churned. Whenever he kissed Ash, his heart would constrict painfully from the tension just before.

“…Yes, there were.”

“Karlyle.”

Ash raised a hand. His fingers gently caressed Karlyle’s cheek. Heat rose wherever they touched.

“What are you going to do, being so innocent?”

Ash had used the word “innocent” several times today. But, no matter how he thought about it, the word “innocent” didn’t suit him.

“I don’t think I’m innocent.”

Karlyle had seen and experienced many things. When one conducted business under the name of a family with Frost’s level of wealth and frequented high society, one saw many unsavory things.

The family would now be inherited by Kyle, but Karlyle intended to continue handling those hidden affairs on Kyle’s behalf. He didn’t want to make his beloved younger brother do such things.

“You said you’ve never dated before, so how were you going to handle me?”

Ash whispered in a low, soft voice. Their lips were so close they almost touched. Karlyle gripped the bed with his hand. He moved his body back slightly. It was hard to breathe. He tried hard to lower his eyes, as his gaze kept wanting to go to Ash’s lips.

“…That’s.”

“Were you enduring it because you were dissatisfied with my methods?”

Karlyle quickly denied it.

“No.”

“If there’s anything Karlyle didn’t want to do but endured on purpose, tell me.”

Ash whispered in an apologetic voice. Karlyle looked up. A hint of a helpless expression showed.

“I wasn’t enduring it.”

“Really?”

Their eyes met. His mouth was parched. Unconsciously, his gaze went to Ash’s lips. With an aching heart, Karlyle slowly, languidly, shook his head.

“Rather.”

Ash’s hand touched his thigh. Karlyle looked at it for a moment, then met his eyes again and whispered.

“I liked it.”

Saying “I liked it” in this way somehow felt like a confession. A brief silence filled him up to his throat.

It was hard to breathe, so Karlyle slightly parted his lips and let out a faint, long breath. At the end of his breath was Ash. Ash was quietly looking at Karlyle.

Soon, Ash tilted his head slightly. Their lips touched lightly. A faint warmth colored his skin, then gradually increased in heat, spreading throughout his body. Karlyle closed his eyes.

The kiss was very soft. The act of gently biting and releasing his lips repeated slowly, like teasing. He felt a tightness in his stomach. Something was welling up. Feeling as if he was being treated very preciously, Karlyle tightened his grip on the bed. It was hard to endure. His lowered eyelashes trembled slightly.

Finally, just as something inside was about to burst forth, Ash’s tongue skillfully parted his lips and entered his mouth. Ha, hff. The breath he hadn’t realized he was holding escaped for a moment as Ash’s tongue touched various parts inside his mouth.

His even teeth, firm palate, soft tongue. The tip of Ash’s tongue tapped his palate, then rubbed against it, making Karlyle squint his eyes suggestively and let out a heated sound.

“Hmph, ah.”

His body recoiled from the spreading pleasure. Ash followed him, pushing Karlyle fully onto the bed. In the blink of an eye, Ash was on top of Karlyle’s supine body. With that, their tongues deeply intertwined.

Ash’s tongue, wrapped around the base of his own, rubbed messily against Karlyle’s. The moist sounds and pooling saliva were very sweet. Karlyle raised his arms and hugged Ash’s shoulders.

As he held Ash tightly, the kiss deepened. He couldn’t think of anything. Karlyle twisted his body, desperately swallowing Ash’s saliva. Heat surged through his entire body. He wanted to be closer, deeper, with Ash. He was so overwhelmed with pleasure that he didn’t know what to do. It was almost sad.

Ash’s hand naturally moved down and slipped inside Karlyle’s suit shirt. The palm that had already found its way in was very hot. The hand that rubbed his firm abdomen moved up to his chest.

His waist arched sharply because of the fingers teasing his nipples. Haaah, hff, hff, sounds burst out. His lower body was rigid. The knotted muscles deep in his abdomen were also very hard. He was frighteningly aroused.

Forgetting the place, Karlyle clung to Ash’s kiss. The sensation of the hand caressing and stroking his upper body swelled his arousal. His ragged breaths intensified.

Their tongues intertwined, making wet friction sounds. Time seemed to disappear. It felt like fleeting moments were repeating. Only kissing Ash and touching him mattered.

Finally, just as he felt truly dangerous and began to unconsciously lift his hips, a voice came from afar.

“Sorry to interrupt, but.”

It was Natalie.

“Don’t you two gentlemen want to eat?”

A knowing voice, as if she didn’t need to see what was happening inside, resonated slyly from the stairwell. Karlyle’s eyes widened, and he gasped for breath. Ash, hearing the sound, merely raised an eyebrow for a moment, then reached out and gently squeezed Karlyle’s cheek. His tongue licked his lips.

“Ash, ugh, now, we have to… go out.”

“We can just reheat the food. And trifle is better chilled.”

“But, here, ah, hff, stop.”

The hand still inside his shirt teased his erect nipple. The tip of his finger gently rubbed the hard, raised nipple. His entire body twitched. Karlyle flinched and barely managed to twist his upper body. He felt like he was going to lose it.

“Do you want to stop?”

Ash whispered dangerously. With eyes heavy from the heat, Karlyle looked up at Ash. His ragged breaths came out in deep, repeated gasps. Even his eyelashes continued to twitch from the stimulation.

“If we keep going…”

When his nipple was touched once more, Karlyle bit his lip and winced. His head was throbbing.

“I feel like I’ll want to…”

Karlyle said desperately, afraid he would do something indecent in someone else’s house.

“So, the meal.”

Karlyle’s words were cut off. Ash frowned and covered Karlyle’s lips with his own. His tongue deeply probed, tasting, licking the inside of his mouth. Eung, hff, khk, moans leaked out. Ash groaned and slowly withdrew his tongue. Just before pulling away, Ash sucked hard on his lips then released them, letting out a sigh.

“Alright.”

A very low voice was heard, then Ash pulled his body away. Karlyle slowly sat up, his chest heaving. He felt strangely dazed. This was another new experience.

Ash, watching him, ran a hand through his hair as he had before. With calm eyes, Ash looked at Karlyle and reached out a hand.

“I’ll fix your clothes.”

With gentle movements, Ash straightened Karlyle’s disheveled attire. His hand finally touched Karlyle’s lips.

His thumb slowly rubbed his glossy, reddish lips. Embarrassment belatedly rose, and Karlyle slowly turned his head. Then he stood up. Adjusting his clothes, Karlyle barely managed to speak.

“You must be hungry, so let’s go downstairs now.”

“I’d rather eat something else.”

Ash replied, standing up beside him.

“The older one has to endure, right?”

Ash, who had uttered a meaningful remark, stood beside him. The arm tightly gripping Karlyle’s waist led him out of the drawing-room.

Natalie said nothing special to Ash and Karlyle when they came down after their talk. The dinner that followed proceeded in a pleasant atmosphere.

Ash and Karlyle, excluding Natalie, drank light wine, and the conversation flowed on suitable topics such as Natalie’s work, recently released movies, and travel destinations. Natalie also smoothly elaborated on what Ash used to like.

The gathering broke up when Sarah woke up crying. It was quite late. Natalie asked Karlyle for a hug, saying she had a very enjoyable time.

It was a first for him, so it was awkward, but Karlyle silently bent down a little to accept Natalie’s request. With a promise to see them again, Natalie saw them off.

They walked quietly as they headed to the main road to catch a taxi. The darkening sky was a blend of deep orange and violet.

As they emerged from the quiet alley where dusk was settling into the moderately bustling main road, a taxi appeared. He didn’t want to part, but he couldn’t take up any more of Ash’s time. Ash raised his hand and hailed a black cab.

“Thank you for today.”

Ash said gently, looking at the taxi approaching them. Karlyle replied, quietly looking straight ahead.

“The pleasure was all mine.”

He thought they would just part ways, but everything, from being introduced to his sister, was like that. He knew it was Ash’s goodwill due to his personality. While that fact stung and hurt, the time they spent today was a unique experience he had never enjoyed before, and he felt quite good.

“Then.”

The taxi stopped in front of Karlyle. Opening the door, Ash smiled.

“Get home safely, Karlyle.”

“You can get in first.”

“I’m fine. I want to see Karlyle leave first.”

The feeling of being cared for was peculiar. Karlyle reluctantly slid into the taxi. Regret clung to his ankles.

“Karlyle.”

However, that regret soon vanished without a trace due to Ash’s words, spoken just before the door closed.

“When you get home, text me that you arrived safely.”

Saying something he had never said before, Ash gently closed the door. Karlyle blinked. He couldn’t think of anything for a few seconds, taking that long to reply to the taxi driver asking for his destination.

Ash allowing private contact… today was the first time.

Even knowing that the subtle expectation this fact brought was an illusion, Karlyle couldn’t calm his churning insides. His heart began to pound wildly, holding a small hope.